I suppose there’s a different prism through which to see the Charlie Davies situation. But given my personal spot in life, I can only see it through the prism of the mother of a young adult male. A parent who is constantly trying to get her child to understand the consequences of his occasionally reckless behavior.

My son has never suffered a consequence as big as the one Davies, 23, has been dealt. The bright, rising young star of American soccer was left off the 2010 World Cup roster Tuesday, because he’s not expected to be healthy enough to contribute.  He is still recovering from horrible injuries suffered in a car crash in Washington DC last October. One of those past-curfew, what -the -hell-were-you-thinking mistakes that can change a young person’s life.

Davies didn’t pay the ultimate consequence. A passenger in the car, a young woman named Ashley Roberta, did. She was killed instantly.  And the crash put the ups and downs of professional soccer in perspective. Davies’ mother said, a few days after the crash, that the World Cup drama didn’t seem so important. Her son was just lucky to be alive.

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What happened tonight was the biggest moment in Sharks history. With apologies to Jamie Baker, it was absolutely the most significant elimination victory to date.

Big enough to make me pick them to win the Stanley Cup. Late to the bandwagon, to be sure. But, damn, I needed some proof.

And, tonight, I got it.

The Sharks are finally doing what they’re supposed to do, what they’re built to do. Because unlike ancient history, when Baker scored the winning goal to knock off the Red Wings in 1994, this Sharks team is supposed to be able to come up big. And they’ve all too often come up small.

Not tonight. Not at all.

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So it is late Friday morning and the 49ers still haven’t addressed the reality – reported everywhere in the universe by now – that their general manager Scot McCloughan has left the team for “personal reasons.”  This story first broke on Wednesday night – almost 40 hours ago.

And the 49ers response? Utter silence.

But, hey, how do you like that ticket price hike?

And, could you give us some money Mr. Joe Q. Public for our new stadium?

Because we clearly know exactly what we’re doing. Yes siree – a team with a clear direction. No general manager. No decent quarterback. No realistic stadium financing. But a clear direction.

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Today is anniversary day for the 49ers. Fifteen years ago today they won their last Super Bowl. Did any of us ever, in our wildest, think they wouldn’t be back for 15 YEARS????

No. Of course not. Back then we were spoiled. A bad season meant losing to Dallas in the championship game. An unthinkable season meant getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Not making the playoffs for SEVEN SEASONS?? Never entered anyone’s mind back then.

This anniversary is a special day for me.

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